The DNA of The Audience's Expectations

The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

There is only one story.

The Hero's Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharsis).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story.

and more...

Exceptions to the rule

There are peripheral plot variations such as at: http://www.clickok.co.uk/AdvancedWorksheets.html

And there are editing variations such as in Coffee and Cigarrettes (Jim Jarmusch) etc.

And there are core usages, such as in sitcoms.

But if you want to tell a story in whatever form, this is the structure you must use. This is the DNA of the audience's expectations. And any story that deviates from it tends to be commercially less successful.

Art-house movies are one form that deviates from the structure and they are less commercially successful - but they may be successful in the eyes of a small group of people BECAUSE they are deviant - not becuase they are nec

essarily any good.

Learn more?

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero

The Managing Creativity and Innovation MBA dissertation, DIY creativity Audit, Powerpoint presentation and Good Idea generator software can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

?s Journey and other story structure te

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mplates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

Kal Bishop, MBA

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